Footwear



March 28, 1944. EVANS 2,345,187

FOOTWEAR Filed Nov. '7, 1942 INVENTOR. F174 M [Fl 4N5.

hm QM ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November I; No. 464,880

2 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear having detachable soles.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a shoe or the like with fastening means whereby the sole and uppers may be readily attached'to or detached from each other.

The invention permits of easily detaching the sole from the uppers, when the sole becomes be desired to replace it with a new or fresh one.

' Furthermore, and especially in the case of application of the invention to women's shoes, it permits of readily substituting the uppers with another of a different color or material so that a woman can conveniently and inexpensively match or harmonize her shoes with her dress, or adapt them for use for different occasions, as, for instance, street wear or evening dress.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention:

Figure'l is a view in perspective of a shoe embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section in elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;.

Fig.3 is a section in elevation of a modification of the invention taken on the line 3-! of Fig.4; and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a shoe embodying a modified form of the invention;

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown the invention applied to a woman's shoe, but it may be applied to men's and children's boots and shoes, as well as to other footwear of various types, including shoes for army and navy use.

The shoe comprises generally asole III, which may or may not be provided with a heel Ii,- and uppers l2. These parts may be of any desired construction and material. The uppers usually extend around the entire sole, as illustrated in Figure 1, but in certain types of women's shoes or sandals, as shown in Fig. 4. the uppers are formed with separate. toe and heel parts II and I4, and

channel or groove in which the companion attaching elements of the upp'ersmay be engaged.

A single flange I! extending around the. entire sole or two separate flanges, one around the toe portion and another around the heel portion, may

be provided, depending upon the type or style of footwear in which the invention is embodied,

Extending around and attached to or formed integral with the lower edge of the uppers II, or around the toe and heel parts I! and I4 thereof where those parts are made of separate pieces,

- is a flange or band I! of similar material to the in some instances straps are substituted for the heel part.

Referring now to the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, II indicates a flange or band of suitable stiff or stiffened flange II. The flange it has a portion it which is permanently attached to or formed integral with the uppers or the parts thereof, and a portion or arm 20 that extends outwardly and upwardly, preferably at an angle to form a V with the portion l0, and that is adapted to engage in the hook-like portion ll of the companion flange I! of the sole.

By engaging the flange II of the uppers with the flange llof the sole, as shown in Fig. 2, the parts-may be easily attached together, and similarly, by disengaging these flanges the sole and uppers may be detached from each other.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the fastener 2i of the type commonly known as ""zippers or hookless fastener, is employed for detachably securing the sole and uppers. In this form of the invention one part of the fastener. indicated at 22, is attached to the sole l0, while the other part II is attached to thetoe and heel nel to fasten the sole and uppers detachably to- 1 gether.

2. Footwear comprising uppers a sole, 0'

flange secured to the lower edge of the uppers and having an outwardly projecting arm. and-a second flange secured to the sole and ha an upwardly extending inwardly directed hook-like portion for receiving the arm of the first mentioned flange to fasten the uppers and sole detachably together.

' EI'IA M. EVANS. 

